On this day, a clever impostor almost lied his way to the top. On October 23, 1812, the disgraced noble Claude François de Malet disguised himself as a general, claimed that Napoleon was dead, and then attempted to install himself as the new leader of France. As absurd as the plan sounds, it had the support of several influential French political figures and it was put into motion at the perfect time, with Napoleon and his army beginning their long, chaotic retreat from Russia. The plan went well at first, and Malet convinced the French army to install him as the temporary head of the Senate and also to arrest several officials who might oppose the plot. Unfortunately, a police officer recognized Malet for who he really was and everything quickly fell apart. Malet and his co-conspirators were swiftly executed, and Napoleon clung to power, if only for a little while longer.
2